In the early '70s, Television began as the Neon Boys, a group featuring guitarist/vocalist Tom Verlaine, drummer Billy Ficca, and bassist Richard Hell. At the end of 1973 in New York City, New York, the group reunited under the name Television, adding rhythm guitarist Richard Lloyd. The following year, the band made its live debut at New York's Townhouse theater and began to build up an underground following. Soon, their fan base was large enough that Verlaine was able to persuade CBGB to begin featuring live bands on a regular basis; the club would become an important venue for punk and new wave bands. Television was the first punk/new wave bands to play at CBGB. That year, Verlaine played guitar on Patti Smith's first single, "Hey Joe"/"Piss Factory," as well as wrote a book of poetry with the singer.
Television recorded a demo tape for Island Records with Brian Eno in 1975, yet the label decided not to sign the band. Hell left the band after the recording of the demo tape, forming the Heartbreakers with former New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders; the following year, he began a solo career supported by the Voidoids, releasing a debut album, Blank Generation, in 1977. Hell was replaced by ex-Blondie bassist Fred Smith and Television recorded "Little Johnny Jewel," releasing it on their own Ork record label. "Little Johnny Jewel" became an underground hit, attracting the attention of major record labels. In 1976, the band released a British EP on Stiff Records, which expanded their reputation. They signed with Elektra Records and began recording their debut album.
Marquee Moon, the group's first album, was released in early 1977 to great critical acclaim, yet it failed to attract a wide audience in America; in the U.K., it reached number 28 on the charts, launching the Top 40 single "Prove It." Television supported Blondie on the group's 1977 tour, but the shows didn't increase the group's following significantly.
Television released their second album, Adventure, in the spring of 1978. While its American sales were better than those of Marquee Moon, the record didn't make the charts; in Britain, it became a Top Ten hit. Months later, the group suddenly broke up, largely due to tensions between the two guitarists. Smith rejoined Blondie, while Verlaine and Lloyd both pursued solo careers; Lloyd also played on John Doe's first solo album, as well as joined Matthew Sweet's supporting band with the 1991 album Girlfriend.
Nearly 14 years after their breakup, Television re-formed in late 1991, recording a new, self titled album for Capitol Records. The reunited band began its comeback with a performance at England's Glastonbury summer festival in 1992, releasing Television a couple months later. The album received good reviews, as did the tour that followed, yet the reunion was short-lived — the group disbanded again in early 1993. In 2001, Television again reunited for a handful of shows in the U.K., as well as an appearance at the Noise Pop Festival in Chicago.
Prove It
Television Lyrics
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A whisper woke him up
The smell of water would resume
The cave, waves
Of light, the unreal night
Flat curving of a room
It gets funny
Just the facts
The confidential
Now this case, this case, this case that I
I've been workin' on so long, so long
First you creep, then you leap
Up about a hundred feet
You're in so deep
That you could write a book
Chirp, chirp, birds
They're giving you the words
A word is just a feeling you undertook
Prove it
Just the facts
The confidential
This case, this case, this case that I
I've been workin' on so long
So long
Now the rose, how it slows
You in such colorless clothes
Fantastic, you lose your sense of human
Project, (rotect
It's warm and it's calm and it's perfect
It's too, too, too
To put a finger on
Prove it
Just the facts
The confidential
This case, this case, this case that I
I've been workin' on so long, so long
This case is closed
The opening lines of the song Prove It by Television paints a vivid picture of a serene landscape. It describes the docks, the clocks and the sound of water that would resume each day. It then introduces an ethereal scene, a cave that is illuminated by unreal waves of light. The lyrics, "The world is just a feeling you undertook," suggest an otherworldly experience, one where emotions and sensations are heightened beyond what is tangible. The line, "It gets funny" hints at something strange, almost inexplicable, that the singer is experiencing.
The song then takes on a more assertive tone when the singer asks, "Prove it, just the facts, the confidential." This could be interpreted as a challenge to someone to provide evidence to back up their claims. However, it’s also possible that the lyrics suggest a more philosophical view of the world. The line, "The world is just a feeling you undertook," suggests that the singer doesn't believe in objective reality or truth, but instead argues that everything is subjective based on perception.
In the final verse, the song references a rose that slows and loses its color when observed too closely. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for humans, that we are more vibrant and alive when we are not subject to scrutiny. The lyrics, "It's warm and it's calm and it's perfect" suggest a state of blissful ignorance, one that is preferable to the harsh realities of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
The docks
The area near the water where boats or ships usually dock
The clocks
The timepieces used to keep track of time
A whisper woke him up
He woke up to a barely audible sound or voice
The smell of water would resume
The scent of the water would start again or continue
The cave
A hollow space or opening in the ground, typically one with a length greater than its width
The waves
The moving ridges or swellings of water on the surface of the sea or other large body of water
Of light, the unreal night
The bright or brilliant illumination shining in the darkness
Flat curving
A level or even bend or arc
Of a room
The space where someone resides or stays
It gets funny
Things start to become amusing or strange
Prove it
Provide evidence or information to support a claim or statement
Just the facts, the confidential
Only the truthful and private details are necessary
This case, this case, this case that I
Referring to a particular situation that they are investigating or analyzing
I've been workin' on so long
They have been working on this case for an extended period
First you creep
Initially, you move slowly and cautiously
Then you leap
After a period of careful motion, you spring forward energetically
Up about a hundred feet
Approximately 100 feet above the ground or surface
You're in so deep
You are in a complicated or involved situation
That you could write a book
The situation is so complex or interesting that you could complete a full-length narrative about it
Chirp-chirp
The sound made by a bird
Birds
Feathered, winged animals
They're giving you the words
The birds are inspiring or providing the individual with inspiration or language
The world is just a feeling
The world around us is only sensed through emotion, it's not a tangible thing
You undertook
You are taking on or accepting a responsibility or task
Now the rose
A reference to the flower named "rose"
How it slows
How the pace or speed changes or becomes leisurely
You in such colorless clothes
The individual is dressed in dull or drab attire
Fantastic, you lose your sense of human
The experience is so extraordinary that your human feelings or identity fade away
Project, protect
Plan or anticipate an event while ensuring its safety
It's warm and it's calm and it's perfect
The situation or place is comforting, relaxed, and ideally suited
It's too "too too"
The situation is excessively perfect or precise
To put a finger on
To clearly identify or articulate something
This case is closed
The investigation or analysis has been completed and resolved
Lyrics © Rocking Gorillas Music Ltda
Written by: Tom Verlaine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind